About James Leech Dee

"...James Leech Dee was born on February 25, 1842 at Hanley, Stoke Upon Trent, Staffordshire, England to Thomas Hill Dee and Elizabeth Reese Dee.

James Dee arrived in Utah in 1860 with his parents, having sailed from Liverpool on March 30, 1860 in the ship Underwriter, with 594 British and Swiss Saints, under the direction of James D. Ross. They arrived at New York City on May 1, 1860, then traveled to Florence, Nebraska, now named Omaha. The Dee family left Florence on June 17 in Captain James D. Ross's company, consisting of 249 persons, 36 wagons, 142 oxen and 54 cows. They arrived at Salt Lake City, Utah on September 3, 1860, and soon after settled at Ogden, Utah.

James Dee married Ann Eliza Webb on April 4, 1863 at Salt Lake City, Utah, ceremony was performed by President Brigham Young. She is the daugher of Chauncey Griswold Webb and Eliza Jane Churchill Webb.

Both boys were afflicted with tuberculosis and died from that disease.

It is said that Ann Eliza Webb Dee had aspirations to move up the social ladder. Her book, Wife No. 19, however, states that James was an abusive husband from which she had no choice but to divorce him...."

"...James Leech Dee then married Esther Ellen Brown b. March 18, 1849, the daughter of Captain James Brown and wife Ester Jones Raper Brown, widow of Robert Raper.